Once there was a great war between the beasts and the birds. Bat was on the birds' side. In the first battle, the birds were badly beaten. As soon as Bat saw that the battle was going against them, he crept away, hid under a log, and stayed there until the fight was over.

When the animals were going home. Bat slipped in among them.Afterthey had gone some distance, they saw him and asked one another: "Howis this? Bat is one of those that fought against us!"Bat heardthem and he said: "Oh, no! I am one of you; I don't belong to the birdpeople. Did you ever see one of those people who had teeth and hair?You can say that I belong to the bird people, but I don't; I am one ofyour own people."They didn't say anything more; they let Bat stay with them.Soonafter, there was another battle; in that battle birds won. As Bat'sside was getting beaten, he slipped away and hid under a log. When thebattle was over and birds were going home, Bat went in among them.When they noticed him, they said: "You are our enemy; we saw you fighting against us."

"Oh, no," said Bat, "I am one of you; I don't belong to those beasts. Did you ever see one of those people who had wings?"They didn't say anything more; they let him stay with them.SoBat went back and forth as long as the war lasted. At the end of thewar, birds and beasts held a council to see what to do with him. Atlast they said to Bat, "From now on, you will fly around alone atnight, and you will never have any friends, either among those thatfly, or those that walk."